Pages

Examen: A Prayer Practice

Once in a while, it is a good practice to look back and evaluate the life that you lived for the past days, months, or years. Have you been living your life to the fullest?

It's been years since I started keeping a journal. Though I don't write on a daily basis, I can still look back at my journals and recall significant events in my life. I have written various notes, including ones that do not make sense, prayers, poems, and reflections and even just a recount of a day's events. When I open my journal, I can't help but thank God to where he brought me thus far. It's always a good thing to examine a life and learn from mistakes and plan for the future.

The Prayer of Examen
This prayer practice allows you to look back through your day or your entire life, or through your ministry program. It leads you to a time of evaluation and at the same time discernment. While praying, the pray-er will be able to pay attention to his/her emotions and become aware of God's presence throughout the day. It was established by Saint Ignatius.

More often than not, when I embark in the prayer of examen, I use John Wesley's self examination questions. The Holy Club used these questions during their Wednesday meetings to check on each other's devotion to God.

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I
am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?

Can I be trusted?

Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

Did the Bible live in me today?

Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?

Am I enjoying prayer?

When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?

Do I pray about the money I spend?

Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

Do I disobey God in anything?

Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

Am I defeated in any part of my life?

Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

How do I spend my spare time?

Am I proud?

Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees
who despised the publican?

Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment
toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

About

My purpose is to share my life journey and to inspire you through my experiences, discoveries and insights. My hope is that the contents of this blog will be relevant in your personal and even professional lives.